I am building up my tool collection and I am wondering what are some tools that I should have. I already have all the basic hand tools, some metal shaping hammers, a welder, drill, 10" drill press, recip. saw, a couple grinders, a chop saw. I know I need to get an air compressor but what else should I look into?

*Hand tools- By basic hand tools I'll assume you mean both metric and imperial sets of open end and box wrenches. Don't discount the stubby wrenches, line wrenches, or the angled wrenches either, they're pretty handy. A set of ratcheting box wrenches with adapters for sockets are incredibly handy I always use mine. Plus the usual complement of sockets and deep sockets in 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 drive. Consider six and twelve point sockets, some nuts and bolts are twelve point and you could wreck them hammering on a six point. (use the right socket for the application). Oh and the socket wrenches to drive them, maybe a speed handle. As well as an impact gun (look at Chicago Pneumatic)and socket set in shallow and deep if you plan on getting a compressor. (an air dryer wouldn't be a bad idea either.) Snips (aviation, wire, etc), Pliers (fancy needle, wide jaw, curved, etc.), screw drivers (torx, inverted torx, phillips, robertson, etc.), Vice grips (regular, needle, sheet metal, etc), This list could go on forever.

As it comes to my head imagining walking through our shop. It took us years to amass this junk:
*A cabinet to put all this crap in. Arguably the handiest thing of all.
*Torque wrenches. small 0-20 (more or less)ft*lbs, med 20-150 (more or less)ft*lbs
*Pullers- generic three jaw and two jaw, and speciality (usually for your vehicle) e.g. steering wheel, or the GM power steering puller/press set.
*Ball Joint/U-joint press, and a couple of pickle forks for when you can't use the press to separate.
*An old distributor with the cam gear ground off for running the oil pump on your favorite car.
*An input shaft from your favourite transmission to hydraulically push out those pesky pilot bearings.
*A hoist if you're related to the Rockafellers or if you're like me and have a buddy in the business.
*Hoist trays and roller table
*Jacks and stands- Floor stands, Hoist stands, transmission jack, floor jack (preferably hydraulic), bumper jack,etc.
*Engine crane-I used to use the trusses in the shop and a come-along, what a difference.
*MIG, stick, and spot welder. If you want to get fancy get a TIG. GO WITH GAS ON THE MIG AND TIG.
*Engine stand
*a wide selection of chisels and punches. A pneumatic one with assorted chisels.
*sledge hammers for fine tuning
*Grease gun with zerk fittings nd needle fittings
*A hickey for bending tubing, brakes etc.
*Brake lathe
*wheel balancer (if you can afford it, dynamic)
*tire machine
*Spring compressor for your favorite vehicle (suspension and valve)
*vice
*anvil
*A good ohm/volt/amp/ etc. meter. Oscilliscope if you want to get fancy and have a clue what it's telling you.
*Scantool for those computerized fuelies
*Battery tester
*Coolant tester
*Vacuum pump with accessories
*Breaker bar
*crow bars (for your car or the mother-in-law)
*pry bars (the bigger the selection the better)
*Gasket scrapers
*Parts washers; the basin type and the air/solvent wand
*Door panel removal tool, Window crank removal tool
*Door hinge pin press
*Battery charger (Timed, preferably with a boost function)
*Sockets for specialty items like CV Shafts and all those oversized bolts you never think you'll find, but will
*Allen keys and Allen sockets (torx and inverted torx etc.)
*Feeler gauges and spark plug gauges
*measurement devices; vernier calipers, bore diameter gauges, Joe blocks, reference table, dial indicators, etc.
*Valve/head grinding tools. (Useless unless you have specs. or that "I don't care what angle it is" attitude)
*Drills, bits, taps, dies, reamers, files, countersinks, etc.
*Drill bit sharpener
*Clutch centering tools
*Pressure gauges; air, A/C, fuel, rad, etc.
*Piston ring compressor
*bottle brush hone
*magnetic and clampy pick up tools
*mirror on a stick
*Grinders; bench, die, angle, etc.

O.K. I'm tired, when you buy all this crap I'm bound to have remembered something else. I didn't mention any of the paint/body tools, that would be a thread in itself.

**CAVEAT** This is just a hobby for me and my brother. You can spend money like you have a hole in your pocket (and head). A trip to the jobber is like a trip to the candy store for a 5 year old. A look through the tools section of the weekly shopper magazine steps up the blood pressure. The sound of an auctioneer at a machine shop auction raises the pulse. But the sweet thump of a V8 you built yourself covered in sheet metal you brought back to life, customized to your personal taste calms it all down again. Watch it, if you're in to it, you can drop a lot of coin in tools.

Best investment I ever made for my tool box. Always make sure you have plenty of cutting wheels and an assortment of grinding bits. It has saved my butt on so many miscellaneous and unique instances, I can't remember them all. I love my Dremel

Uh,,safety glasses. When your blind, you can't drive anymore. The OEM eyes work so much better than those imported aftermarket eyes. The only aftermarkets, have springs attached to glasses and they bounce around an awful lot....

Yeah Princess Auto. Once in a while they do have good stuff. If you're handy, they have a lot of raw materials to make good stuff with.
Lots of good stuff....
I hate looking at that catalogue. It just reminds me of all the stuff I don't have and really need. Like a blasting cabinet, I mean you can only blast so much stuff outside. All those neat hydraulic and pneumatic thingys. Tell me, what shop is complete without air actuated doors? How about air actuated tool box drawers? If they only had a robot to clean up after working on the car. Or to bring you beer. That would be a tool worth investing in.

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